The Red Bay baseball program is in rebuilding mode, and new head coach Donavan Hand said he likes the direction the Tigers are headed.

“We’ve got a lot of baseball talent,” said Hand, who was at Vina this past year. “We just have to work on our baseball IQ. That is what we’ve been doing.

“The guys are really receptive. There are bumps in the road, but I like the direction we are headed in.”

Helping smooth the transition are two experienced players in senior Landon Glover and junior B.P. Blair.

“Landon is super athletic and has a lot of ability,” said Hand. “He is off to a good start for us this year. He is a quiet leader. He leads by example and his work ethic.”

“B.P. is the more vocal leader on our team,” Hand continued. “He is always talking and finding ways to keep our guys up and in the game.”

Finding that right balance is critical for Hand, who starts five freshmen and an eighth graders.

“These guys are used to succeeding in other sports,” Hand explained. “Baseball is a game of failure, and they need to understand that. You are a good baseball player when you get a hit three or four times out of ten.  They can’t get down on themselves. We try to mentally prepare them for what to expect.”

It is a long season, but Hand said he likes what he sees so far.

“We play a pretty hard schedule. We just want to keep our head above water and not lose sight of the main focus, and that is continued improvement,” he said. “I think we are ahead of expectations. We have thrown a lot at them, and they’ve responded in the right way.”

Red Bay is in Class 2A, Area 10, with Aliceville, Lamar County and Sulligent.

RED BAY VARSITY BASEBALL ROSTER

No. Name

1  Adam Rooker

2  Eli Farris

3  Jeremiah Robinson

6  Jeramiah Thorne

7  Harley Strickland

8  Dallas Terrell

11 Brady Hardin

12 Carson Corum

13 Mitchell Kennedy

15 Dalton Faulkner

20 Wesley Faulkner

24 Landon Glover

33 BP Blair

34 Ty Reynolds

99 Wes Mauldin